


Take Notice

by Blue_hare



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe, Awkward Crush, Courting Rituals, Enemies to Lovers, Falling In Love, High School, Idiots in Love, M/M, Mischief, Misunderstandings, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Romantic Fluff, Students, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, courting the person that hates you
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-19
Updated: 2020-01-19
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:46:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,430
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22314265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blue_hare/pseuds/Blue_hare
Summary: Both Erwin and Levi dislike the "take notice" board.(I may have watched Anne with An E and gotten inspired. Shameless, I know...)
Relationships: Levi/Erwin Smith
Comments: 12
Kudos: 79





	Take Notice

**Author's Note:**

> happy early valentine's day... <3 :)

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The whole building had been a buzz ever since the “take notice board” had gone up on the side of the school building. 

There had been a mad frenzy, the sort that made the omegas cluster and side eye and giggle uncontrollably and left the alphas puffed up and grinning, and smacking one another on the shoulder or back companionably. All in all, it made for the sort of atmosphere which did _not_ stimulate learning of any kind. 

Erwin Smith was thusly, exasperated by the whole thing. 

Of course he wasn’t the only one unamused by the antics of their classmates. Across the divide between alpha and omega desks he could see grey eyes narrowed, and thin lips scowling at all the noise being made outside and heard easily enough through the open window. He caught himself just in time before those eyes flashed toward him. He chided himself internally for being so forgetful with his staring. 

It had been a problem ever since Levi Ackerman had moved with his Mother and Uncle to the tea plantation down the road and across the river from his family's apple orchard. 

As it happened he simply had never met or seen anybody like Levi Ackerman. 

With his petite form - he’d learned the hard way about Levi’s aversion to jokes or teasing related to his height - and those never before seen grey eyes of his and the cute turned nose and well… He fascinated Erwin. 

It wasn’t purely his aesthetic that Erwin found _fascinating,_ it was the way he talked (crudely but never deliberately unkind) and thought and behaved(not at all like the other omegas of Maria Isle). 

If only Erwin had not made such a foolish and egregious mistake that first time they’d properly talked to one another, they might be able to discuss about things that no one else ever seemed to want to talk about. 

Like books or the changing landscape of their second gender in the wider world, or anything, really. 

He sighed, turning back to his arithmetic exercises. 

The board had been up a month. Slowly but surely, he’d learn to tune anything to do with it out of his mind. Spring truly felt like spring now and the teacher had managed to wrangle their distracted students into their seats so they could be well prepared for the university entrance exams taking place in the early months of summer. 

The students, of course, found other ways of continuing their deeply involved ways of the board, in the form of note passing. Whatever sort of ‘notice’ that had gone up since lunch break must have been deeply concerning if they were whispering about it whenever the teacher was busy helping another pupil. 

The folded piece of paper landed in the middle of him revising history dates. 

He meant to ignore it, only that, just then, he felt a prickling sensation on himself and then, very faintly, the scent of tea grass became noticeable in the air he breathed. He was familiar with it. He knew it, and so instinctively looked up, just in time to catch Levi turn back to his own revisions. He would have thought nothing of it. He’d caught Levi looking at him sometimes (and each of those times he’d been thrilled and hopeful) but this time he could easily see how bright red his ears were (not just the tips, as the other times had been). 

He frowned and looked back down at the folded piece of paper. 

Perhaps Levi had fallen to their classmate whims and they’d written something on the paper? 

But then, something else struck Erwin, and he dreaded unfolding that paper, to see what had been written on it. 

_Ackerman’s been noticed._

He looked back up; Levi’s shoulder line was tense and his back stiff. 

“Erwin!” 

He snapped his vision away from his classmate, and towards the teacher standing beside him. In all his inattention he’d not notice them make their way over to him. 

“I’m surprised at you. You’re usually so well behaved and studious. Hand that over, immediately.” 

He was reluctant but did as instructed in silence. The teacher ‘tskd’ and then made their way over to Levi’s seat. 

“Mr. Ackerman, I believe this is yours.” and dropped the note on his desk. There were sniggers and barely contained giggles from the others, that were quickly silenced by the teacher with a serious threat of extra homework. Erwin hardly paid attention nor saw when Levi crushed that note in his fist and tossed it into the flames of the stove, all the way from his seat. 

Neither of them were quite as attentive to their revisions for the rest of the class. 

Erwin was a mess, a complete and total mess since that folded piece of paper had made it to his desk. 

He was quiet and short with his classmates as of then, and more than once, he’d had to apologize for his blunt answer to the more sensitive students. He also found that he simply could not be in the presence of Levi any longer. The idea of seeing them with… with whomever had written their name on the board, turned his stomach. So he spent his lunch break up in a tree or farther away that allowed, from the others. At the end of school days, he was the first to get up and head for home. 

He couldn’t and didn’t want to know if that someone had advanced towards the next step or that since then, there had been others that had taken notice of Levi. 

He was miserable until he got to school late one day (he’d been cutting it close to avoid the early morning gossip before lessons.). Everyone looked up when he walked in, everyone but Levi. 

“Take a seat Mr. Smith.” the teacher said, displeased at his tardiness. 

The odd and bright stares of his classmates were explained at lunch time, when the boys (who usually ignored him when he took off to read) smacked his back, teasing him about _finally_ taking notice of an omega and posting it up on the board.

_“What?! I did not!”_

__

“I thought you were doomed to a life of books. And the only 'dates' you’d be interested in would be those in history, Smith.” they cajoled. 

__

“But did you really have to go for the prettiest of them all?!” 

__

He was flabbergasted and unable to insert any kind of denial because they were just talking all over one another. 

__

“So when are you gonna ask Ma---” 

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“Ooofff!” 

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Erwin fell over onto his classmate, Ness, unexpectedly. He looked down to find a rock wrapped in paper. What the...? 

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“Hey guys lets pick up the game from yesterday!” 

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And they all left, each one smacking him on the shoulder in congratulations as they made their way to the field. He didn’t bother following or correcting them, the unexpected hit throbbing painfully on his temple, despite the paper cushioning. When he touched the tender lump his fingers came away bloody. 

__

He sighed and looked around uselessly, but by then, whomever had been behind the stone, had long taken off. He made his way to the small brook behind the school, kneeled by the side, and cupped his hand to gather water to clean the blood from his temple. It felt cool and it soothed some of the pain away. The hit must have truly addled him, because he went back by the side where the board had been hung up. As luck would have it, the person that he had supposedly “noticed” was passing by. 

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“Oh, Erwin…” 

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“Marie…” He looked at her, unsure of how to tell them that he had not “noticed” them, at all, without sounding like a complete prick. 

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“It’s okay,” she said smiling at him kindly, “I know it wasn’t you.” 

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“You do?” he was truly bewildered. “How?” 

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“The handwriting doesn’t match, silly.” 

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“Oh, of course.” he turned around and finally looked at the notice board properly. “That is true. Still I’m sorry if…” 

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“Don’t be.” she smiled secretly. “Whomever did this, did me a favor.” 

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“How do you mean?” 

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She smiled widely and then frowned, her amber eyes starring worriedly at his temple. 

__

“Erwin, you’re bleeding.” 

__

It appeared worse than it was. The water he’d used to clean the cut had run down his jaw tinted with blood. Marie still insisted on lending him her handkerchief, in fact he’d lowered his head so she could hold it in place with one of her hair ribbons. Erwin thought that was very kind of them and she simply insisted that it was good practice for when she planned to be a nurse. 

__

“There, you’ve been a very good patient, but unfortunately I have nothing to reward you with.” 

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Erwin smiled at her nurses banter. 

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“You’ve done enough,” he grasped her shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “I’m sure you’ll make a wonderful nurse, Marie.” 

__

When they parted ways, he failed to notice the figure hiding, just behind the curtain of the open window. It was only later that he remembered that Marie had not told him about the favor that had been done to her by the fraudulent take notice board note. 

__

The rest of the school day went by slow on account of Marie’s ribbon and handkerchief wrapped around Erwin's head. Neither of them were believed when they tried to explain themselves, but there was nothing to do about that.

__

It was at the end of the day when Erwin finally understood the favor that had been done to Marie. The teacher had made him stay behind to look after his injury properly and so he’d seen Nile Dok and Marie walk off together. In fact, she winked at him on the way out, a pleased smile on her face as Nile offered to carry her books and lunch basket for her.

__

It was partly why he had no compunctions about going outside to the ‘take notice’ board, and removing “his” notice off. 

__

“Oh, it’s you.” 

__

Levi and the familiar tea grass scent. 

__

“What? It didn’t work out for you with Marie so you’re moving on to the next one?” He scoffed. “Figures.” 

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“No, I’m just removing this.” He answered truthfully and perhaps confused by Levi's dark tone and mocking expression. 

__

They had not spoken in a while and there was some tension between them. 

__

“I didn’t write it.” 

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“Sure.” he’d replied monotone, eyes lingering on his band aid temple wearily. 

__

Levi was turning away, about to head back home. It was irritating how the possibility of him not believing Erwin _bothered_ him so much. 

__

“What about you?” he called out. 

__

Levi stopped and turned back around, eye brow raised. “What about me?” 

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“The person that noticed you…” 

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Levi grimaced, eyes narrowed. “That was weeks ago and of course it was some idiots idea of a joke.” 

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Erwin’s breath caught, eyes widening. “It was…?” 

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But Levi took it the wrong way. 

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“Fuck off, Smith!” and he turned around, Erwin just barely catching his murmur, “As if anyone would notice me…” 

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Erwin debated whether to follow after Levi but ultimately choose not to. 

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_Tomorrow,_ he thought. 

__

School the next day seemed to blur by and not even his classmates pitying looks, on account of the news of Nile’s and Marie’s impending courtship, bothered him. He’d returned to his clandestine staring of one Levi Ackerman, who appeared downcast that very day. 

__

With all the buzz surrounding Nile and Marie, he considered whether to delay his plan, but he could no longer deny what he felt and wanted. Especially, because they would be taking exams soon and then University. Their paths would inevitably diverge sooner than he realized. He might not get another chance and that chance was less than ideal. Even so at least he could say he tried and actually attempted to do something. 

__

He waited for most of his classmates to head outside, Levi in the midst of them. He took a deep breath to gather his nerve, and with his hands fisted, rushed outside before he took off with Isabel and Furlan. 

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“Levi!” 

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The others that had been waiting outside, stopped and watched him run after the dark haired omega. 

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Levi turned around as well, scowl on his face, eyes furrowed in confusion. 

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“What?!” 

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“Can I walk you home?” He said it in a rush and perhaps louder than he intended. 

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“What!?” Levi’s eyes were widened, unexpectedly taking a step back, and making Erwin lose hope. 

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“I...that is. I would like to walk you home.” He was desperate, heart beating rapidly, neck sweaty, and burning. “If you would let me, I would like to walk you home.” 

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“To..Today?” Levi had never stuttered before him, nor looked as panicked(?), surprised(?), disbelieved(?) as he did. But it made Erwin bold enough to come closer, enough so that he towered over Levi, and he could smell that tea-grass scent stronger than ever before. 

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“Today and any other days after.” 

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There were gasps behind them at his bold declaration. At his intent. 

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“Why?” this time Levi whispered for only him to hear. 

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“Because I noticed you from that very first day I met you. Before I even called you a---” 

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“A midget.” 

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Erwin blushed, “Yes. I’m sorry I did that. I really am. I truly regret that. Honest.” 

__

He waited with bated breath. If he’d cared he would have noticed that everyone else was very much the same way. He only had eyes for Levi who was staring at him with an intensity that only he could muster. His grey eyes breathtaking at the close distance. He was riveted as Levi looked away, pink tongue wetting his lips shiny, stepping closer to him, and rising on his tiptoes, hand reaching for his bandaid temple.

__

“And I’m sorry I threw that stone at you.” he said earnestly, brushing some of his gold hair away. 

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With wide eyes, Erwin took Levi’s hand and pressed a kiss to his palm. 

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“I forgive you, I forgive you.” 

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With a blush on his face Levi’s lips turned at the corners. “Idiot.” 

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He then interlaced his fingers with Erwin's and they walked away, down the path to his home. 

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“Holy ---mrph!” 

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“Hange!” 

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“I can’t believe your plan actually worked!!??”

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They cackled, eyeglasses gleaming in the late afternoon Sun. 

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“I’m a genius!” 

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Two days later the whole village had taken notice of the large beech tree with the five point star("Hearts are cliche, Erwin!") with an arrow, and the names Levi and Erwin, and a date on the bottom. 

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**Author's Note:**

> Idea would not leave me alone. <3 I love ma boys!


End file.
